From the category archives: Safety

Parts of West Virginia are facing a prolonged cleanup effort after widespread flooding killed 23 people, left an estimated 230,000 people homeless or temporarily displaced and prompted Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to declare a federal disaster. To support the victims of this natural disaster, ABC’s West Virginia Chapter (ABCWV) has established a flood relief program and is arranging for donations of labor, supplies and equipment to help the affected communities. Read the rest of entry »

According to the 2016 Dodge Data & Analytics Outlook report, the U.S. construction industry is predicted to grow 6 percent this year, with the value of construction reaching an estimated $712 billion. With the growth trend expected to continue on an upward trajectory into 2017 and beyond, construction companies are sure to look for ways to increase operational efficiencies and improve worker safety—especially when the heat is on.
Temporary cooling solutions such as cooling towers, chillers and air conditioners allow construction companies to prevent project delays, increase worker safety and improve their balance sheet by avoiding high-cost capital expenditure commitments on short- to mid-term duration needs.Read the rest of entry »

DEET is an excellent mosquito repellent, but it is a fairly poor tick repellent.

There are pros and cons to each product, but as a tick repellent, permethrin wins hands down. Permethrin is an
insecticide derived from a chemical found in the chrysanthemum family of plants. It is a spray that is used on clothes only, and is deactivated and made less effective by the oils on our skin. Once it is sprayed on our clothing, it becomes odorless and can last for several weeks with a single application. Once it is applied, most ticks will curl up and fall off if they make contact, and will eventually die if there is prolonged exposure.Read the rest of entry »

In most cases, employers who prescribe to workers’ compensation insurance enjoy immunity from civil lawsuits by their employees who suffer on-the-job injuries. This immunity is a trade-off that employers enjoy in exchange for a no-fault workers’ compensation system in which injured employees are compensated even where the injury was not the fault of the employer and/or may have even been the fault of the injured employee.Read the rest of entry »

To assist employers in complying with new rules and regulations, OSHA released new wallet cards to serve as resources on the jobsite addressing the OSHA reporting requirements and hazard identification training. The resources can be found on OSHA’s publication page.

On Sept. 11, OSHA issued a final rule implementing new requirements for reporting severe injuries on the jobsite. To help with compliance OSHA created a wallet card, "OSHA Reporting Requirements for Employers," which details the severe injuries employers are now required to report to OSHA as of January 2015. The card also provides options on how to report these injuries by phone, online or in person.

The new "OSHA's Hazard Identification Training Tool," wallet card advertises a new training tool on the hazard identification process using realistic workplace simulations.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Oct. 23 issued a directive for OSHA compliance personnel on how to
enforce its 2010 standard for construction cranes and derricks. The directive,
which covers jobsites where power-operated equipment covered by Subpart CC – Cranes and Derricks in Construction are present,
provides guidance for OSHA inspectors on how to conduct site visits, interpret
the rule, and decide when to issue citations.
Read the rest of entry »